Washing machine



Feb. 1941- J. A. LlGNlAN ETAL ,5 0

WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 s I A 46 .94 32 lNVEt-iTORS F 2 Jean FZLiqnzlan I #7 pHa/azza/ E irks/r1217 77m},- ATTORN EYS Feb. 4, 1941. J. A. LIGNIAN E'YI'AL WASHING MACHINE,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 7', 1958 Jen R INVENTORS Lg'gnz'an 7 0151247 E K475151727 f mm 1 4 i/m; ATTORNEYS 1941- J. A. LIGNIAINQ ETAL 2,230,510

WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. '7, 1938 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3 6 v 2;. 58 52 54 50 M4 Y v 40 5 48 /28 5 INYENTORS Jean l7. Lgnzan Roland F aefirl'n ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 4, i941 PATENT" OFFICE 2.230.510 WASHING momma Jean A. Lignian and Roland P.

Koehrinl, Dayton, Ohio, assignora to General Motors corpora tion, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Delaware Original application February I, 1938, Serial No. 189,128. Divided and flils application June 18. 1938, Serial No. 214,479

S-Ciaims.

This application is a division of Serial No. 189,128, flied February 7, 1938. The present invention relates to fluid seal assemblies and more particularly to fluid seal assemblies used in connection with washing machines and the like. An object of the invention is to provide the top, or outer end, of the shaft housing of a washing machine'with an undercut portion tobe used as a seat for one end of a resilient fluid seal assembly, said fluid seal assembly having a spring of circumferential shape molded within the end thereof which fits into said undercut portion, said spring maintaining the shape of the assembly and also extending the assembly radially outwardly in sealing engagement with the walls of the undercut portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a fluid seal which is disposed between the agitator assembly and the center housing member, said seal being compressed axially by the agitator assembly for causing the seal to sealingly engage both the housing member and the agitator assembly.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a seal construction which prevents water within the tub of a washing machine from seeping into the gear case along the shaft that motivates the agitator. It is a still further object to provide a seal assembly to be used in connection with the gear case of the washing machine for preventing grease from seeping out of the gear case along the driving shaft therefor. In carrying out the above object it is a further object to associate the seal assemblywith the: pulley on the drive shaft so that the seal assembly rotates therewith.

It is a still further object to provide a seal assembly for washing machine which is disposed around the driving shaft for the agitator and between the top of the shaft housing and the agitator, said seal being of sumcient axial length so as to be compressed axially when the agitator isassembled to the shaft, the resilience of said seal assembly under compression creating the sealing pressure against a. horizontal sealing surface carried by the agitator.

Further objects and advantages of the pr xent invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, in section, illustrating a. washing machine assembly.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating, on an enlarged scale, the gear case sealing assembly.

' Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 illustrating, on an enlarged scale, the construction and assembly of the fluid seal used in connection with the agitator.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the oiling system forthe agitatorshaft bearing.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 illustrating the disposition of the porous metal oil plug.

Fig. 6 is a view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating another form of sealing assembly.

Fig. 7 is a view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating still another modification of the sealing assembly, and,

Fig. 8 is 'a view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6 showing the circumferential spring.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a washing machine assembly 20. The assembly includes a tank, or tub 22, that has a reinforced rim 24 at the open top thereof, which open top may be closed by a removable cover (not shown). Extending upwardly within the tub,and suitably fastened to the bottom thereof, is a vertical shaft housing 26. The housing 26 has a bearing 28 pressed therein, adjacent the upper end thereof, and a drive shaft 30 is journaled within the bearing 26, the shaft 30 preferably extending upwardly beyond the housing 26. A lower housing member 32 supports a thrust disc 34 which acts as a bearing for the lower end of the shaft 30.

The upper end of the housing 26 is preferably undercut, as at 36, to provide a shoulder, or seat for a sealing assembly 36. The sealing assembly 38 is disposed around shaft 30, and is fabricated from resilient material and is compressible axially of the shaft. The assembly 38 includes an annular cup-shaped member 40 which has an integral upper flange 42 and an integral lower flange 44 thereon. The flange 44, in the preferred form, has a circumferential spring 46 molded therein. It may be noted by referring to Fig. 8 that the spring 46 preferably does not extend entirely around the circumference of the flange 44, but has its ends spaced from one another a suflicient distance to'permit the cup member 40 to be compressed radially inwardly around the flange 44 thereof. Thus when the cup 40 is assembled with housing 26 the spring flange 44 and 'the'annulargroove, or recess, formed by undercut portion in the housing member 20.

. Disposed around the shaft 30 and within the cup member 40 is a coiled spring 44. The spring 40 bears at one end thereof upon a portion of the housing and at the other end thereof against a spring retaining washer 50, thereby actingfto expand the cup member 40 axially of the shaft. The washer 50 seats directly against the upper flange 42 of the cup 40 and prevents the spring 48 from cutting into the cup, when heavy spring pressures are utilized. The washer 50 is bent outwardly around the outer periphery thereof to provide an annular flange 52 that maintains the spring 48 in alignment with the washer 50 and cup 40. An outwardly extending ear 04 is formed integral with the washer 50 and extends in the opposite direction to the flange 52 thereon, or if preferred, a plurality of ears 54 may be turned up on the washer 50. The ears 54 extend outwardly beyond the cup and engage recesses 56 molded in the sealing washer 50. Sealing washer 58 is disposed around the shaft and bears at one side thereof on the flange 42 of cup member 40. The cars 54 align the washer 58 with respect to the cup member and shaft 30, and prevent relative rotation between the washer 58 and the member 40. The cars 54 are preferably a loose fit within recesses thus allowing fractional angular displacement of the washer with respect to the cup and thereby eliminating the necessity of precision manufacture. If desired, sealing washer 50 may be cemented to the top of the cup member 40, and the ears 04 of spring retaining washer 50 can thereby be eliminated or, if thespring load on flange 42 is not too heavy, the washer 50 can also be eliminated.

The upper end of shaft 30 is preferably squared, as at 00, and carries thereon a hub 62 which has a squared hole therein disposed to flt over the squared part 00 at the upper extremity of the shaft 30. The lower surface of the hub 02 namely surface 04, is preferably machined and polished and it is against this surface that the seal ring 50 rides and seals. It will be observed that the distance between the surface 04 and the shoulder 30 is slightly less than the free axial length of the sealing assembly 30. Thus when the shaft 30, with the hub 02 thereon, is pressed downwardly against its thrust bearing 34 the sealing assembly 34 is compressed axially of the shaft and thereby sealingly engages the aforementioned surfaces. The hub 02 is associated with an agitator which surrounds the shaft housing 20 and the hub 02 may or maynot be integral with the agitator I. The agitator 66, hub 62 and shaft, which comprise the agitator assembly, are of sufllcient weight to cause the aforementioned axial compression of the seal assembly. After the agitator 00 is assembled to the shaft, it is preferable to pass a pin 00 through the entire assembly to prevent accidental displacement thereof. It is apparent that the sealing surface 64 could be formed integral with the shaft by providing a shoulder thereon and it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates such a structure.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in the design of the cup 40, particularly with respect to the lower end thereof. In this instance, a flange I44 is provided which has an outwardly extending lip I40 thereon. The spring 40 is molded, as previously exp ined within fl nge III. In. the p r icu ar emg aasosro u provides a releasable union between the bodiment the top of the housing 20 is undercut at I30 so as to provide an overhanging lip Ill thereon. Thus the cup member 40 may be com-- pressed radially inwardly around the flange I44 and snapped into the groove formed by the undercut portion I30 and the lip I40; Thespring 40 thereupon expands the flange I44 to its original shape and releasably locks the cup member 40 to the housing 26.

Another modification of the cup design 40 is shown in Fig. 7, wherein a resilient diaphragm type of cup I40 is utilized. The cup I40 includes two spaced flanges I and I02 thereon. Flange I60 has a circumferential spring 44 molded'therein and is of greater diameter than flange I62. The housing 20 is machined to form an annular groove I64 therein. The groove I84 is shaped in a female configuration corresponding to the shape of the flange I80. Thus the cup member I40 can be associated with housing 24 by snapping the flange I60 thereof into groove I84. A spring 48 bears at one end thereof against the bearing 28 and at the other end thereof against washer 50 and thereby exerts an expanding force on cup member I 40. It will be noted that the cup member I40 includes an annular loop portion I 06, which permits substantially axial movement of the cup member I40 to take up for wear in the moving parts and to insure positive sealing action of the seal assembly.

In order to provide lubrication for the bearing 28 the shaft 30 is bored lengthwise thereof but slightly ofl center as at 10, so as to permit a free passage past the pin 60. The bore I0 extends downwardly and adjacent the lower end thereof a transverse bore I2 is provided which passes through the bore III at right angles thereto. A porous metal plug I4 is pressed into the bore 12 and is of sufficient length so that it terminates adjacent the bearing surface of the shaft 30. The bore I0 may be fllled with oil or other lubricant and the porous metal plug I4 thereupon acts as a metering device which carries oil outwardly by capillarity within the pores of the metal plug I4, which oil is then taken up between the bearing 20 and the shaft 30 for lubricating purposes. The surface tension of the oil prevents an over-lubrication of the bearing since it creates a pressure minutely in excess of atmospheric pressure when sufllcient oil is present at the bearing surface and thereby substantially prevents further capillary flow of oil through the plug I4. Porous metalplugs of the character described are manufacturedby sintering together finely divided powdered metals and are wellknown to the art.

The lower end of shaft 30 carries a gear I0 thereon which is engaged by a rack gear I0, suitable clutch mechanism (not shown) being provided for engaging and disen aging the said gears. The rack I8 is connected by an arm II to an eccentric 02 associated with gear 04 carried by the shaft 00, thus as the gear 04 rotates, the eccentric If reciprocates the rack I0 through the medium of the associated arm 00, to cause the gear I4 and the agitator 00 to be reciprocated. Shaft 00 also drives a wringer (not shown). A worm 00 engages, and drives, the gear 04 and is carried by a shaft ll which extends outwardly through the housing {I and is associated with a pulley 02 at the outer end thereof. The pulley 02 is driven by a motor (not shown) through a belt drive (not shown).

Asecondfluidsealassemblyflisutilizedto prevent the outflow or menace of grease from the housing 32. The seal assembly 94 is identical to the assembly 38 previously explained with the exception that it rotates with the shaft 90. being carried by the hub of the associated pulley 92.

To prevent any possibility of grease seeping through the joint between the pulley 92 and the shaft 90, a circumferential groove 86 is cut into the shaft 90 and a resilient band 98 is snapped thereon. The band 98 is wedge-shaped in or 7 section and when the pulley is assembled to the shaft 90 completely seals the joint therebetween.

The present sealing assembly as shown in the drawings substantially completely prevents water, 7.

water vapor, or steam within the tub22 from entering the shaft housing 26. In the past, packing has been placed around the shaft but such an expedient has never proven completely satisfactory since it has been impossible to keep the packing tight withoutfrequent manual adjustments, and after a period of wear thereon, water, steam etc. passes between the shaftand the packing thereby corroding the bearing 28 and likewise seeping down into the gear case and having a deleterious efiect upon the mechanism thereon. The present invention prevents water from seeping into the housing since the seal assembly 38- is self-adjusting, i. e., to say as the seal ring wears, the spring-48 expands the sealing assembly axially of the shaft and maintains a fluid tight seal. Likewise as the thrust bearing 34 wears, and the shaft settles slightly, the seal assembly 38 is compressed axially of the shaft without, any detrimental effects on its sealing ability.

In the preferred form the cup members 40 and Hill of the seal assemblies are formed from polymerized neoprene or chloroprene or some other similar synthetic rubber material. Such materials have been found to be more resistant to the deleterious eflects of oil and water than natural rubber compositions although rubber can be used in many applications of the present seal. The sealing washer 58 is preferably fabricated from one of the phenol formaldehyde condensation products of the thermal setting type commonly known as Bakelite," and includes a substantial quantity of powdered metal dispersed therethrough. This metallic ingredient, for example, bronze, brass, copper, iron or lead powder, etc., provides a wear surface on the Bakelite which gives it long life with a low coefflcient friction. It has been found that a quantity of metal powder ranging from 25to percent by weight of the total weight of the seal ring yields very desirable I thetlc rubbers, hard rubber and other plastic molded materials which are not deleteriously affected by the fluids tobe sealed.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted. all coming within'the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A washing machine assembly comprising in combination, a tub, a vertically disposed tubular in housing member within the tub, a shaft joumaled within the housing member and extending upwardly a substantial distance above the housing member, an agitator associated with the shaft at the upper end thereof and surrounding the housing, a horizontal sealing surface at the inner side and adjacent the top of the agitator, a resilient fluid seal disposed aroundthe shaft and between the said sealing surface and the top of the housing member and being attached to said housing by inherent reslliencyof the seal, the free axial length of said fluid seal being greater than the distance between the top of the housing and said sealing surface, said seal being compressed axially by the weight of the agitator when the same is in place on the shaft for causing the fluid seal to sealingly engage said horizontal sealing surface and the top of the housing.

2. A washing machine assembly comprising. in combination, a tub, a vertically disposed tubular within the housing member, a horizontal sealing surface attached to the shaft, a shoulder within said housing and spaced from said sealing surface,

resilient, axially compressible fluid sealing means disposed around the shaft and between the said sealing surface and the shoulder and detachably held non-rotatable with respect to the housing ing said housing, a horizontal sealing surface associated with the agitator assembly and disposed a definite distance from said horizontal wall, an annular resilient fluid sealing device having a part thereof in said undercut portion and having a free length greater than said definite distance and disposed between the said sealing surface and the horizontal wall so as to be compressed longitudinally when the agitator assembly is in place for sealingly engaging the horizontal surfaces and the wall, and a spring within the sealing device and cooperating with the resiliency thereof for increasing the sealing pressure.

JEANA.LIGNIAN.- ROLAND P. KOEHRING.

housing member within the tub, a shaft journaled 3o 

